All Blocks

More than 900 years of tradition comes to an end this week when hereditary peers leave Parliament for the last time.Yet there will be no formal ceremony to mark such a historic occasion, not even a government statement.The truth is Labour has long had it in for the hereditaries, with Tony Blair axing more than 600 in 1999, describing them as an ‘anachronism’. Just 92 were spared in a temporary compromise but that arrangement ends on Wednesday.Not everyone is taking their dismissal lying down. Charles Courtenay, the 19th Earl…

From wearing a Chicago White Sox cap with his papal robes to landing on Vogue’s best dressed list, Pope Leo XIV has drawn global attention for his striking style during his first year as pontiff. Behind his look is an openly gay Italian designer who has been quietly shaping the Chicago-born Pope’s image.Filippo Sorcinelli, who also dressed Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI, spoke to the Daily Mail to offer insight into Leo’s wardrobe.Sorcinelli said he works with the Church to bring each outfit to life, adding that…

Anthony Albanese is on track to overtake Paul Keating's tenure as prime minister, cementing his place as the 11th longest-serving leader in Australian history. The milestone would also make Albanese the fourth longest‑serving Labor prime minister, as he continues to climb the ranks of Australia's political heavyweights.With Albanese due to eclipse Keating’s four years and 82 days in office on August 13, attention inside Canberra is now firmly shifting to what lies beyond that milestone, and who might step forward when…

A relative of fallen Syrian dictator Bashar Al-Assad has become the first official linked to the regime to go on trial. Atef Najib, a cousin of the deposed leader, appeared emotionless as he was paraded in a cage wearing a striped prison uniform as he goes on trial accused of mass shootings and torturing children.Assad, who fled to Moscow as Islamist-led forces closed in on the capital, and his brother Maher will be tried in absentia.Najib, whose head is shaved, was seen perching on the corner of a wooden bench as…